The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee has launched a congressional investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who recently indicted former President Donald Trump for his alleged involvement in schemes to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 election results. In a letter to Willis, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan accused her of being politically motivated and questioned whether she used federal funding in her state-level investigation. Republicans are using similar tactics to those they employed when probing the Manhattan District Attorney’s indictment of Trump in New York earlier this year, raising questions about their jurisdiction over state-level investigations. Meanwhile, Georgia Republicans are considering launching their own investigation into Willis’ probe.
As part of their efforts to defend Trump and counter his legal battles, House Republicans are increasing their investigations into the Biden family. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has pledged to move forward with an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden if the administration does not provide more documents and information related to the Republican-led investigations into Hunter Biden. The House Oversight chair, James Comer, has subpoenaed banks for information on specific Biden family business associates and reviewed suspicious activity reports related to the Biden family at the Treasury Department. Some moderate Republicans are skeptical about intervening in ongoing investigations and initiating an impeachment inquiry.
Trump’s allies have called for Congress to expunge his previous impeachment charges, a move that has faced pushback. While the votes may not be there yet for expungement, an impeachment inquiry appears likely. Even before Trump’s indictment, his congressional allies were laying the groundwork to target Willis and election laws more broadly. Republican Rep. Russell Fry introduced a bill to allow current and former presidents and vice presidents to move their cases from state to federal court during ongoing investigations. The Judiciary Committee is exploring ways to advance this bill. The House Committee on Administration is also working on a conservative election integrity package, which Democrats view as an attack on voting freedom.
Overall, Republicans are using their congressional majority to defend Trump, investigate his legal battles, and pursue their own investigations into the Biden family. The investigation into Willis and the potential launching of state-level investigations are part of a broader strategy to counter ongoing criminal matters. While there is resistance from some moderate Republicans, an impeachment inquiry against President Biden appears increasingly likely. Additionally, Republicans are pushing bills related to court jurisdiction and election integrity. These actions highlight the partisan divide in Congress and the ongoing efforts of Republicans to support Trump and challenge the Biden administration.